History World - Britain's history in old photos

One of the Fixed Festivals of Town Life: The Opening of the Hopscotch Season
Childhood - Playing Out

As any girl will tell you; as any girl's mother will tell you; as any girl's grandmother - it has to be early in spring. How to play the game, and when, descends as a tradition from generation to generation. Where to play is never a problem.

Views: 15,143 Year: 1950 1 Comment

The Spring Game of Leap-frog
Childhood - Playing Out

Sunshine siezes the children in the street with an urge to get their feet off the ground. This is the time for hopping, leaping, vaulting, frog-jumping, and skipping.

Views: 14,097 Year: 1950

Home Life Away From Home
House & Home - Family Life

Radio, fireside, and the cheerful company of Mary and Joan Harris help George Dalton of Middlesborough to feel that life is still pleasant. Taken from an article about War-blinded men who passed through St. Dunstan's Training Centre, Church Stretton.

Views: 16,493 Year: 1946 1 Comment

An Evening Pint in 'The Feathers'
Socialising - At the Pub

Lambeth Walk. 'They talk about pubs being the poor man's club, but as many women go to 'The Feathers,' and one of the bars is practically the women's bar - but, of course, men can come in if they really want to.'

Views: 31,547 Year: 1938 2 Comments

Supper in a Hot Pie and Stewed Eel Saloon
Society & Culture - Cafes, Saloons etc

Distinguishing feature of the Lambeth Walk are the eel and pie saloons, where you can get hot soup, hot pies and parsley sauce, or stewed eels and mashed at a penny, twopence or threepence. Often the whole family is taken.

Views: 14,112 Year: 1938 2 Comments

'..Something that Fills You, and after all That's the Chief Thing'
Society & Culture - Cafes, Saloons etc

Dieticians would gasp at the sight of small children polishing off large bowls of potato. But the eel-pie saloons supply a need for somthing hot and filling that is also cheap. Taken from 'Life in the Lambeth Walk' Article.

Views: 11,257 Year: 1938

A Lady Cleans Her Doorstep
House & Home - Chores

In Wake Street, just off Lambeth Walk. Some of the householders wash not only their front doorsteps, but a large slice of the pavement, too. It's a regular North Country custom, but among London smoke and dirt it seems a strangely noble act. Taken from 'Life in the Lambeth Walk' Article.

Views: 27,496 Year: 1938 9 Comments

Washing-day in the Backyards
House & Home - Chores

'Especially if you've a big family it's hard to do the wash properly. We could all do with a bit more room.' Taken from 'Life in the Lambeth Walk' Article.

Views: 11,413 Year: 1938 1 Comment

Eleven o'Clock Cocoa in Mrs. Barber's Home
House & Home - Family Life

Mrs. Barber lives in Lollard Street, off Lambeth Walk. Left is Mrs. Barber's 88-year-old father, who sells straw-bags in Lambeth Walk on Fridays and Saturdays, if fine. Right is her daughter. A cup of cocoa is their morning custom.

Views: 13,420 Year: 1938 2 Comments

Lambeth Walk, London
Streets, Buildings etc - Streets

The old man, seen Lambeth Walking at the top of one of the side-streets is a Lambeth institution. He is popular in the Walk, and there are usually a few to give him pennies. Taken from 'Life in the Lambeth Walk' Article.

Views: 48,283 Year: 1938 16 Comments

Evening in the Cafe Royal
Socialising - Cafes, Bars

Once they drank absinthe. He wore long hair and a stock-tie. She wore a flowing dress and sandals. They talked about the Yellow Book and the newest witticism of Oscar Wilde. To-day they dress like ordinary people, and they talked about... what do you think?

Views: 11,060 Year: 1938 7 Comments

Novel Use For Condemned Engine
Transport - Rail

Usually when an engine is withdrawn from traffic and consigned to scrap, it seldom, if ever, is heard of again in its original form. Strange, then, is the experience of the old Highland Railway engine of the large "Ben" class - Ben Achaoruinn, No. 14422 - built in 1909 and withdrawn at the beginning of March last. Partially dismantled, this old "Ben" has had a temporary reprieve from further destruction to serve a purpose far removed from the activities of a railway locomotive. A new boiler had to be installed in the laundry serving the station and station hotel at Inverness, and to permit the dismantling of the old one, and erection of the new, without interruption to the services, the old engine was propelled to a bay in the station close to the laundry premises, where, as the photo shows, a 3-inch steam pipe was connected from the engine boiler to the steam supply pipes underground leading to the laundry, hotel and District Office Buildings.

Views: 9,847 Year: 1937

Built 1867 and Still Going Strong
Transport - Rail

Ex Midland Railway Double-framed 2-4-0 built at Derby Works to the designs of Matthew Kirtley. There were 22 of this class, which had 6'-3" driving wheels and were originally built for the newly-opened main line from Bedford to St. Pancras. Four only of these engines now remain.

Views: 8,421 Year: 1937

Trainspotting
Childhood - Playing Out

Photo taken on Christmas Eve. Note the young lad on the railings at the back, Health and Safety would have a field day!

Views: 10,446 Year: 1936

Pneumatic-tyred vehicle by Armstrong Siddeley Motors
Transport - Rail

The car shown above is a pneumatic-tyred vehicle, built by Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd., of Coventry which is on trial in service between Rugby and Wansford, travelling via Market Harborough and Seaton.

Views: 10,309 Year: 1936